Rangers Walk Off in Playoff
Win
In
a championship-esque atmosphere, the Dayton Rangers
defeated the Dayton Astros 5-4 in dramatic fashion in
the bottom of the ninth inning to advance in the winner’s bracket of the MVABL
playoffs.
Both teams
sent their aces to the hill for a highly contested pitcher’s duel. Astros’ righty Brian Girard
stifled the Rangers bats over the first five innings, striking out 9 batters,
including all three that he faced in the fifth. Ranger Jacob Robinson held his
own through the first five as well, striking out 5, but was looking at a 1-0
deficit going into the sixth.
The Astros
started off the sixth inning with a leadoff single to center by Taylor Nakamura
(2-for-4 2 runs, SB). One batter later, third baseman Adam Stewart came through
in his second straight at-bat with an RBI single. After Stewart stole second,
he moved to third on an overthrow, and came around to score on PJ Dobbins
groundout to first.
Staked to a 3-0 lead, the Astros appeared to be in control until Girard has some
control problems of his own in the sixth. Girard hit the leadoff batter, James
Robinson and walked Jelani Arnold. Right fielder
Jared Bradley singled to left to load the bases. Girard then walked Jacob
Robinson and Joe Staten to force in the first two runs of the game for the
Rangers. Coach Rob Johnson turned the ball over to Mike Leach. Clint Wolf
greeted Leach with a slow roller to third for an RBI infield single. But the Astros thwarted the Rangers attempt at a lead by getting a
Rangers runner picked off and turning a double play.
The Rangers took their
first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh as Steve Marshall, Brad
Clark, and Reis Pearson singled in succession, giving the Rangers a 4-3 lead.
The Astros did their best impersonation of the
Rangers’ seventh inning, by getting three straight hits in the top of the ninth
inning, capped by a Dustin Vincent RBI single to tie the game at four apiece.
Clint Wolf led off the
ninth with his third hit of the day. Leach then got cleanup hitter Jonmarc Lippincott
to pop up. Wolf then stole second base to put the winning run in scoring
position. Matt Hood then reached on an infield single to put runners on the
corners. Leach then walked
Jacob Robinson went the
distance on the mound allowing three earned runs on eight hits, striking out 9
and not walking a batter. Note: This was the first game all season that the
Rangers pitching staff did not allow a free pass.